by Ivy Jordan
“I don’t know that there was any one thing that made me know. It was just a feeling, and I knew. I know how fortunate I am to have found someone that doesn’t give a shit about the fame or the money. She just loves me, flaws and all. It’s not easy, but it’s out there.”
“That’s all I want, someone who loves me for me...and I think maybe I found someone.”
“Come again? You think you found someone? When? How? Who?”
“Her name is Serena, and we met a month after I won my last Super Bowl.”
“You’ve known her this long and have never mentioned her?”
“Well, I had one night with her, and she snuck out on me. I haven’t seen her since, not until last week when I saw her on TV. She’s a professor at USC, and yesterday, I showed up in her class, and then found her in her office and asked her out.”
“So, what you’re saying is that you barely know this girl.”
“I know it sounds like I’m saying that, but that one night was hours of talking and getting to know each other. She had no idea who I was and it was so nice to just be Cade Thomas and not Cade Thomas football player, you know? I felt something different with her, but she was gone before it could even begin.”
“You think she sees you for you?”
“She did that night, and even yesterday she didn’t seem fazed about my celebrity.”
“I’m happy that you think you found someone, but do you even know how to be in a healthy relationship?”
“No, but that’s why I’m friends with you.”
“I’m going to be honest with you, then. If you think that this Serena woman is someone you want to have something with long term, if you want this to be a true and healthy relationship and not at all like what you had with Josephine, then you should take things slow and really show her you’re looking for something more, something with substance.
“Because let’s face it: your love life has been plastered on the front of every magazine for the last four years, and she might not buy into anything that comes out of your mouth. You have to prove to her that it’s not just about a quick fuck and that it is more than that. If you can do that, then maybe this has a shot. But you also need to prepare yourself for rejection. Whatever happens happens...but I’ll be rooting for you.”
We’re called to set and as I follow Tyler out, I replay his words in my head, knowing he’s right. I have to prove to Serena that she means more if I want this to last. Attraction is one thing, and I already know we can be great together. This time though I need to court her before any of the other stuff happens. This time I’m going to do it right, and I’m going to win the girl.
Because I always play to win.
Chapter Sixteen
Serena
The day passes by slowly, not at all surprising since I find myself checking the clock every five minutes.
I am nervous about seeing Cade, but I am also terribly giddy about it. Despite my reservations, I remember him to be a sweet, charming, and kind man. It has been a long time since my last date, though, and I worry about embarrassing myself, especially with someone like Cade. Before it was easy because I had no idea who he was and I didn't notice the stares.
Now is different. Now I know he’s Cade Thomas, football superstar, and the looks cannot be missed. His love life has filled gossip sites in the time since our meeting, and I wonder how I could possibly measure up to the others he’s been seen with.
I try not to think about that too much and instead focus on the date itself. I haven’t been out on a date in so long since I didn’t date anyone once I found out I was pregnant. I met one guy early in my first trimester, but it just didn’t feel right, being with someone while being pregnant with another man’s kid. Instead, I focused on taking the best care of myself for the baby. Ashley was with me every step of the way, doing prenatal yoga, as my Lamaze coach, the works. She was amazing and has spoiled Alan since before he was born.
It’s been great having my sister to count on through it all, but around the time Alan turned one, I felt a bit like something was missing. I went out on a few dates, but each either ended in disaster or with the guy never calling again once I told him I had a child. My last date was around the time Alan was two, and he turned three last month. It’s a long time to be deliberately celibate, but no one has felt right. It’s been as if a piece was missing that I can’t quite place.
After my day of teaching ends, I hurry home to spend a little bit of time with Alan. Ashley arrives around four, and I hop in the shower to start getting ready. When I get out of the shower, I find my sister in my bedroom rooting through my closet.
“What are you doing?” I ask her.
“Trying to find you something to wear. I knew I should have brought something from my place.”
“I would never wear your clothes on a date.”
“Everything you own is so matronly, though.”
“My clothes are not matronly. Besides, I was going to just wear some nice jeans and boots with a cute top and a sweater.”
“Where is he taking you?”
I name a place I’m unfamiliar with and Ashley’s jaw drops. “Serena, that is one of the hardest restaurants to get into. There is no way you can wear jeans; you have to dress up.”
She disappears into my closet, and I hear her after a minute call out excitedly. “I found something! Oh my God, it’s perfect.” She thrusts the outfit at me. “Put it on!”
“I can’t wear this; it’ll be too tight.” This is a sleeveless black jumpsuit I bought six months ago with a keyhole detail at the neckline.
She waves away my concern. “It will look amazing. Get dressed while I pick out jewelry.”
She is back inside my closet before I can respond. I know that arguing with my sister is a futile cause, so instead, I set out to put on the outfit she has picked. When she emerges again, I am dressed, and she has a gold belt, black and nude patterned heels, gold hoop earrings, and gold and wood bangles in hand. She sets it all down on the bed and looks me over.
“How are you going to wear your hair?”
“Loose waves?”
She nods her approval. “I like it. Do you want me to do your makeup?”
“Yes, please.”
When she’s finished with my makeup, Ashley steps out to make Alan some dinner while I work on my hair. A little after six, I emerge from my bedroom and into the living room where Ashley and Alan are playing. When she looks up at me, Ashley whistles.
“You look hot, Sis.”
“It’s not too much?” I ask, self-consciously touching my hair.
“Mommy, you pretty,” Alan says.
“Thanks, baby.” I kiss the top of his head.
“It’s not too much. It’s gonna knock Cade to his ass.”
“Aunt Ashley say bad word, Mommy,” Alan says with wide eyes.
“Aunt Ashley owes a dollar to the swear jar, doesn’t she, bud?” He nods solemnly.
“Sorry, little guy,” Ashley tells him as she gets up, grabbing a bill from her purse and stuffing it in the jar. “I put in five in case I forget anymore tonight.”
“Call me if you need anything, okay?” I tell my sister.
“We’ll be fine, Serena. I’ve done this hundreds of times.”
“I know; I’m just nervous.”
“You have nothing to worry about. It’s gonna be great. I’ll be up waiting to hear all about it when you get home. Now get going or you’ll be late.”
“Okay, I’m going.” I squat down to my son’s level and kiss his cheek. “Be good for Aunt Ashley, okay?”
“Okay, Mommy.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, Mommy.”
I stand with a smile as Alan turns his attention back to his cars. I grab the waist-length leather jacket Ashley bought me for my birthday from the closet and throw it on before I pick up my purse and move a few necessities over to the clutch I’m planning to carry.
In my car, I put the address to the restaurant in my GP
S and follow the directions until I am across town and pulling up to a valet stand. I turn my car over to the young man who opens my door and turn for the door.
Cade steps out from the shadows, and my mouth goes dry. He is as gorgeous as I remember, and even better, wearing an immaculately tailored navy suit and white dress shirt with no tie, the first couple of buttons undone. He drinks me in and a thrill shoots through me at the way his eyes roam over me.
“Hi,” I say shyly.
He smiles. “You look beautiful.”
I blush. “Thank you.”
“Shall we?”
I nod and let him hold the door so I can enter first. He places a hand on the small of my back to guide me and gives his name to the hostess, who trips over herself when she realizes who is standing in front of her. I ignore her as Cade is nothing but polite, his hand steady as we are led to a table. He pulls my chair out, and I sit and the hostess leaves, promising a waiter will be over shortly.
“Ashley says this place is nearly impossible to get into,” I say when we are alone. “You must be pretty special to have pulled this off.”
He chuckles. “The owner owed me a favor.”
I nod. “Well, it is very nice. I’m just glad Ash told me because I was going to wear jeans.”
“I’m sure you’d look just as beautiful in jeans.”
Our waiter appears and Cade orders a bottle of wine. While he is gone, we both take a moment to look over our menus. When he returns, he pours us each a glass before taking our orders. After he leaves, Cade asks me about exoplanet surveys. I am impressed that he remembers my telling him that I was involved in a research group back when we first met. I try to explain it to him as best I can how we search the skies beyond our solar system for other planets that orbit stars. While he doesn't understand the details nuances of what I do, he does get the basics and is versed enough to keep up with the conversation. It is a nice change of pace, being on a date with someone who is interested in what I do, and not just asking for the show of it.
I ask him about what he’s doing since he retired, and he tells me about his commentary show. I can tell it makes him happy, which is nice to see because I remember how lost he seemed when we met. The conversation flows very naturally between us as our meals arrive.
“Can I ask you something?” Cade asks as we start to eat.
“Of course.”
“After that night, when did you figure out who I was?”
“It was when you announced your retirement a few weeks later. It’s all anyone was talking about, and you were on the front of the paper and every news channel. Was that hard, making the decision to retire?”
“I thought it would be, but it ended up being a pretty easy decision to make. It made me feel like a weight had been taken off my shoulders; I felt free.”
“I imagine being you can be hard.”
“It has its moments. I got to do something I loved for a very long time and make a nice living out of it, so I really can’t complain.” She nods. “Can I ask you something else?”
“Go ahead.”
“Why didn’t you seek me out after you figured out who I was?”
“Honestly, I just wasn’t looking for a relationship then. I’m still not sure if I am. Just because you were you didn’t change the fact that it wasn’t what I wanted. Plus, to be fair, you are you and I’m just...me. What would a superstar athlete need with a nerdy astrophysicist, anyway?”
It is a truth I don’t want to face, and there is so much unspoken in my words that even I’m not willing to face my own fears and demons.
“What about your son? Does he love science like his mom?”
“He likes when I do the fun experiments with him. His favorite is when we make fake snot.”
Cade laughs. “Fake snot?”
“It’s gelatin and corn syrup. It’s like the sugar and protein mucus is made of, and you can see how it gets to be sticky and capable of stretching. And of course, he likes when I mix baking soda and vinegar together.”
“How old is he?” Cade asks.
“He’s three.”
“He sounds like a smart kid. I hope I get to meet him sometime.”
I panic a little inside at the thought and make a noncommittal noise. “Tell me more about your football career. I only know what the internet says.”
We settle back into safe topics and away from any mention of Alan. Cade laughs when I tell him science jokes, and I realize that I haven’t had this much with anyone, let alone on a date with a man in years. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this date, but Cade has been a gentleman all evening, and I’m impressed. More than that, I find myself looking forward to when I might see him next.
Chapter Seventeen
Cade
A week after our second first date, I take Serena out to a hole in the wall dive that I frequent when I want to fly under the radar. I’ve gotten to know the owner and his wife over the years. They’ve owned the place for over thirty years and know every regular by name. I’m glad to count myself among them. No one there has ever treated me as anything but a regular guy when I come in, and I appreciate that I can relax and avoid any crowds when I’m at Fred’s.
Bill and Linda take pity on me when they see me arrive with a date and put us in a booth in the back to keep us out of sight of anyone that might come in that isn’t a regular customer. I appreciate the gesture, telling myself that I’ll leave an extra generous tip for their kindness.
Serena and I have been out three times in the past week and I have enjoyed reconnecting with her. There have been chaste kisses at the end of the night, but nothing more than that. I thought it would be difficult to heed Tyler’s advice to not push sex too quickly, but it has been easier than I expected because I just enjoy being with her and talking and laughing so much.
“So, I was thinking,” I start to say as we finish our meal. “Maybe I could meet Alan sometime? From everything you’ve said, he sounds like a great kid.”
“You want to meet Alan?” I hear the surprise in her voice.
“Well, yeah. He’s your son, and he’s a huge part of your life. We’re dating; don’t you think I should get to know him, too?”
“I don’t know, Cade.”
Her hesitation is written all over her face, and I want to try and smooth it over and make her feel comfortable with the idea. I’m picturing all these things I want to do with this woman, but we can’t move forward if she doesn’t want to introduce me to her son. There can’t be an us if it doesn’t include Alan because I know – and I’m sure she knows, too – that we will run its course and burn out faster than I know I want it to if she doesn’t feel like she can include me with the two of them.
“It’s up to you. I love kids, and I want to meet him, but only if you're comfortable with that.” She doesn’t say anything, so I continue. “I like you, Serena, and I’m pretty sure you like me, too, but how can we continue if you don’t feel like you can introduce me to your son? He’s your everything, I know, and I’d like to meet the little man that holds the key to your heart.”
“Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow I’m taking Alan to the mall to see Santa. Why don’t you meet us there?”
“Yeah?”
“Yes, I’d like for you to meet Alan.”
I grab her hands and bring them to my lips, kissing her knuckles softly. “I’m really looking forward to tomorrow now.”
***
With just a week until Christmas, the mall is packed. This might not have been the best plan, but I am going to do everything in my power to keep this low key and above all else, normal. I worry that I will fail at going incognito, but I try my best, pulling a hat down low and putting on sunglasses. I took great care to make sure that I’m not wearing any Condors gear to remove another layer of who I am.
Serena and I agreed to meet in the food court, and I spot her quickly. I wave as I approach, and she stands up with a smile.
“Hi,” s
he greets me.
“Hey.” I’m not sure if it’s okay to hug her, so I don’t. Instead, I turn towards the little boy peeking out at me from behind Serena. “Hello,” I say to him.
“Alan, this is my friend, Cade. Can you say hello?” Serena said quietly to him.
“Hi,” the little boy says shyly.
“Cade is going to go with us to see Santa. How does that sound?”
“Santa!” he cheers excitedly.
Serena and I laugh at his enthusiasm. She has a small stroller that is folded and has a strap that she places over her shoulder. She takes one of his hands in hers and I fall into step beside her as we head for the middle of the mall where Santa awaits.
Once we have make it to the line, I see immediately that we will have a bit of a wait. I try to get Alan to warm up to me so I start out asking him how old he is and if he likes doing science with his mommy. He starts to tell me about making fake snot with Serena, and I smile as I listen to him. I ask him if he likes the preschool he goes to, and he tells me that he likes to play with the trucks there.
“Do you play sports?”
“Mommy doesn’t play sports. But I like football. We play football at school.”
“Can I tell you secret?” I ask, squatting down so I am eye level with Alan. He nods solemnly. “I used to play football. Maybe we can play together sometime.”
His eyes grow wide and he looks up at Serena. “Can we, Mommy? Can I play football with Mr. Cade?”
“We’ll see, baby. Look, it’s almost our turn.”
I’m not sure if I overstepped, and I catch Serena’s eye, mouthing the word sorry. She shakes her head and squeezes my hand, but I’m still not sure if it’s okay or not. Santa’s helper motions Alan forward, and he heads straight for the Santa and crawls into his lap. As soon as Santa asks him what he wants for Christmas, Alan begins listing off a plethora of toys I’ve never heard of. I think he’s run out things to name when he stops, but then he speaks again.
“Oh, and a giant stuffed panda like Molly has. That’s all I really want, Santa. I love pandas.”
The mall Santa Claus chuckles and whispers something to Alan whose eyes light up. I find my heart melting. This kid is cuter than words can describe, and I realize that not only have I fallen for his mom, but I’ve fallen for her son, as well.